Forgotten
by Umeko
Summary: The Choushu has replaced Okita with one of theirs, and the real Okita is missing. Will the Shinsengumi find out before it is too late? PG13 for violence
1. Sweet Dessert

Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own PMK. I do not profit from my fanfics...don't sue me please.

Chapter 1: Sweet dessert

The young man strolled alone along the streets of Kyoto. He wore his white yutaka in a manner some might call effeminate, but he never let it bother him. The day was fine after the previous night's storm. Clean and crisp. He took deep breaths of the fresh air. It's good to be alive. Too bad his best friends weren't around to enjoy this day with him. Aha! The new desserts shop. Those desserts look scrumptious. A little snack wouldn't hurt.

Okita Souji sat down and ordered a dessert. Wonder how Hijitaka-san and Saitou-san are enjoying each other's company?

Okita chuckled. Two days ago, a very angry letter had arrived from Saitou's prospective in-laws concerning his long overdue wedding. Saitou Hajime has to marry his fiancée Tokio or her family will stop funding the Shinsengumi coffers. In addition, they'll quit funding Hajime. Life's hard when you are perpetually short on cash.

Okita would have loved to attend the wedding. After all, Tokio was a distant cousin of his. However, Hijitaka-san had come to the hasty conclusion that his Souji was unfit for travel. Now Hijitaka has the unenviable task of escorting the prospective groom. Hajime has a bad habit of running away from his own wedding. The young waitress served his dessert. Okita thanked her and tucked in.

Honestly, Hajime is poor husband material. Ditto for all the Shinsengumi. Their wives all run the risk of early widowhood. Hajime is a gloomy, cold fish at times, always looking as though he's attending a funeral. Poor Tokio.

Okita had seen Tokio a few times before. That was years ago. She is older than him. A feisty girl with lots of spirit, Tokio had enjoyed archery, riding and kendo. She can be outspoken and fearless as a tiger if need be. Maybe he should be feeling sorry for Hajime instead.

The dessert was sweet and creamy, delicious! You don't know what you're missing, Toshi, Saizou. His piglet would have loved the dessert. Too bad Saizou was taking a nap when he left the barracks. Waking him up was not an option. Saizou has a temper that can rival Toshi's any day.

------------

"Now you're gonna pay, runt!" A hand clapped over his mouth.

The chest loomed before him like a waiting coffin. No! He wanted to scream but could not. Nine-year-old Okita Souji had crossed the line this time. His talent had found favor with the sensei and incurred the jealous wrath of all his senpai at the dojo. Today, some older students had cornered him in the storehouse. He was pushed roughly into the chest…

It's so dark. When will they let him out? No one will hear his cries. No one will come looking for him. He is an orphan and the relatives he live with will assume that he was playing somewhere else. No one will think of looking in the old chest that sat in the far corner of the storehouse. He could be trapped for days. Fear gripped his chest like icy fingers; suffocating him…He's going to die in that damp, cramped chest. No one will know until they do spring-cleaning and empty his bones out in the garbage.

"If anything happens to him, I'll make sure you sorry shits wish you've never been born! Wake up! Souji!" Safe and warm, a pair of strong arms cradled his little frame. A rough hand massaged his chest, forcing him to breathe. Souji will open his eyes…

---------------------

"Hijitaka-san…" Okita murmured weakly as he opened his eyes…

He gasped in pain as he was kicked in the abdomen. His head spun. He was in a dim room. Ropes bit into his wrists and ankles. He was lying bound on the tatami. Okita struggled to sit up in a more dignified position, drawing his legs under him. _White. A white yutaka like his._

"Don't you worry about your beloved Hijitaka-san, I'll take special care of him…really special care." Its wearer said with an edge of pure malice in his voice.

Slowly, Okita's eyes adjusted to the dim light. There were several others in the shadows. His attention was focused on the young man in the white yutaka.

"You!"

* * *

Author's notes: 

Thank you for the reviews. This is my first long story.

Please review.


	2. Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK, don't sue.

Chapter 2: Reunion

"You, don't you dare ..." He was cut short by a slap across the face. He coughed; then glared at his assailant with defiance. Two identical pairs of eyes glared at each other. The two men were identical in every aspect. They could have been twin brothers. It was like seeing his own reflection, Okita thought grimly. His psycho killer lookalike has resurfaced.

"Okita Souji, captain of the First Patrol, Shinsengumi. You've come a long way." Okita tensed. "Remember that chest? If I recall correctly, it was a bag of sweets that got you into that old storehouse. You still got a sweet tooth, Souji-chan." The speaker was a tall man who leaned heavily on a walking stick.

"Miyagi-senpai. Sensei always said you'll come to a sorry end. And so you have. Working for the Choushu now, aren't you?" The stick smashed into Okita's shoulder.

"You got me crippled! It would have been poison in your dessert if--" He gasped for breath, turning red in the face. Okita smiled dryly. Miyagi was the ringleader back then. Toshi had broken the older boy's kneecap for the attack on young Souji. Now Miyagi is playing a significant part in this scheme.

_Funny how fate works._ If it hadn't been Miyagi, he could be dead by now. Okita knew his senpai enjoyed the feel of power, a bully. In the dojo, he tormented the younger students, forcing many to beg him...No doubt Miyagi wanted the dojo's star pupil to beg him for mercy..._Tough on the bastard, I'm not doing to do that. _Okita stared back at him unflinchingly.

"Kichisaburo, no, Captain Okita will return to the HQ and resume his normal duties. He will naturally be above all suspicion. Kichisaburo is not only an assassin, but an actor. Not even your good friends can tell the difference...until it's too late." Kichisaburo nodded in agreement. Okita's eyes widened as he grasped the full extent of the conspiracy.

"Don't you dare!" Souji launched himself bodily off the tatami into Miyagi. They fell down together with a crash. The cronies yanked the furious young captain off their master and gagged him. Kichisaburo had his katana drawn. The blade slowly traced its way down Okita's cheek.

"Miyagi-san, shall I kill him now?" Kichisaburo asked carelessly as the blade sliced into Okita's right shoulder. Okita choked on his gag as the blood flowed. Miyagi shook his head. "Lucky you." Okita winced as the assassin grabbed him by his bleeding shoulder, yanked him roughly from the floor and dropped him back on it with equal violence.

"Miyagi-sama, it's too risky...we should dispose of him." One of the cronies ventured.

"Just guard him well!" Miyagi snapped as he left the room. Bound, gagged and bleeding, Okita was alone in the room. For now, he's alive. Come nightfall, they may dispose of him. A quick thrust of the blade, a drop into the river...No one will know better. His men will not miss him. His friends...

_The window!_ Gingerly, he staggered to his feet and hopped to the small barred window. It was an upstairs room. He could see the busy street below..._Ichimura-kun!_ He spotted a familiar figure accompanied by a redhead boy. _Tetsu-kun! _The Ichimura brothers were out on an errand for Kondo-san or Yamanami-san, else just whiling away their free time.

_Look this way! Please, kami, Buddha, whoever's out there...let them see me...Look this way..._ Okita willed in desperation as the brothers approached. He tried to shove the rag out of his mouth with his tongue.

* * *

Author's notes:

Yep, it's the return of Souji's evil lookalike. I've given Souji a bit of a attitude, hope it isn't too OOC, can't expect him to be polite to his enemies.

Keep reviewing. Arigato.


	3. Saizou

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK. 

I seem to be on a roll on this...here goes.

* * *

Chapter 3: Saizou

_See me! Please!_ The Ichimura brothers walked past the building without even stopping. _Look this way, Tatsu, Tetsu---BAKA!_ He screamed mentally. Exhausted by the pain in his shoulder, Okita sank to the floor and into unconsciousness.

"Tetsu, what's it?" Tetsu stopped and glanced about the busy street. "Tatsu-nii, I thought I heard Okita-san's voice..." The brothers glanced about the street. Uneasiness settled on them. The air had suddenly become heavy...

"Must be my imagination, Tatsu-nii." Tetsu reassured his brother. Somehow, he didn't feel too certain.

* * *

Saizou buhied and tottered to his master's room. It was empty. The futon was rolled up and stuffed absently in the closet. Papers littered the mats. Strange, he should be there at this time of the day. The training hall! Maybe his master is giving some pointers to the redhead kid. The piglet trotted off in the direction of the training hall.

Yamanami and Kondo were playing a leisurely game of chess as he passed Kondo's office. The new cook, Hotaru, almost tripped over the piglet as she struggled under a load of dirty bedding. Saizou nudged open the door of Yamazaki's room only to have the dog-tired shinobi slam it in his face. Still grunting at this shabby treatment, Saizou entered the training hall past the motionless forms of the Shinsengumi's Comedian Trio taking their midday nap.

The hall was dark and quiet. A slight figure stood by the weapons rack. The pig grunted in distaste. That was where the taishi's weapons are kept went not in use. Sharp shiny objects never interested him the way it did humans. If anything, the spears and blades made him uncomfortable.

_Looks like him._ Saizou hesitated. This person had his master's face but the piglet sensed something was wrong. He sidled along the shadows. It's amazing how quiet pigs can be once they set their minds to it.

That's it! The scent is different! That was not his young master. On top of it, Saizou could smell the sickly sweet smell of blood on this stranger. His master's blood! _If that bastard had hurt his precious master..._Throwing all caution to the wind, the brave little pig let out his best war cry and charged Kichisaburo.

It was bloody, swift and brutal. The skirmish was over. Blood stained the floor by the overturned weapons rack. Cursing under his breath as the sound of running footsteps approached, the assassin fled the scene.

* * *

"What was that racket?" Nagakura Shinpachi yawned. "Sounds like a pig been slaughtered in there." He was still groggy from his nap. _Night patrols always were killers. They had those Ishii-bastards to thank for that. _

"Who left the doors open?" Harada Sanosuke strode in. "There's no one...Merciful Buddha!" The giant collapsed onto his knees as they took in the mess. Shinpachi tried to support his friend the best he could.

"What..." Toudou Heisuke's mouth gaped like a goldfish. Harada's second best spear stuck out of the wooden floor, its point stained a bright red...

"Not good..."

* * *

_Run, Tatsu-kun, run!_ The elder Ichimura sat working over the Shinsengumi account books. He was unaware of the danger approaching from behind. Wearing the Shinsengumi uniform, the assassin raised his blade... Okita's eyes snapped open. It was only a nightmare. However, it has the nasty possibility of becoming reality. 

He managed to spit out the evil-tasting rag they had gagged him with. His wound had stopped bleeding by now. His hands were tied behind his back. If only he could get them loose..._No!_ The fit of coughing shook his entire frame. _Why now?_ He felt his strength draining away. _Not like this...Toshi...anyone..._

* * *

They had stopped for their midday meal at roadside stall. The food was poor and the company worse. Hijitaka never thought he'd miss Souji's company that much. Saitou had spoken little and attempted an escape two miles back. Hijitaka had caught him. Now Hajime looked as though he would gladly put a curse on Hijitaka. 

Hijitaka sighed. They still had a long walk ahead. A very, very long walk. Souji, if only you were here...

* * *

Author's notes:

LydiaBlessing: As requested an update. Cheers!

Hope I'm not being too mean to poor Okita-sama...I'll make it up to him in the later chapters (or have Hijitaka-san make it up to him ). Kinda dragged Hotaru-san in as well...


	4. Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK.

Chapter 4: Escape

"You sure Saizou's dead?" Harada asked in disbelief. "Maybe he's just injured and hiding...There's no body"

"Look, there's a fair bit of blood here. And I've checked the pig pen. Saizou isn't there. Whoever did the poor porker in probably removed him to make pork chops. Sano-kun, you're in deep shit." Heisuke said solemnly.

"But I didn't hurt the pig! Believe me, guys..."

"We believe you alright, but the question is will Souji believe you? Chances are, he'd lob off a few of your body parts, then ask questions." Shinpachi indicated the bloodstained spear. Harada groaned. He's doomed. Okita loved that pig.

"Don't worry, Sano-san," Heisuke patted his friend's shoulder. "We'll help you. First, this place needs some major tidying up before the afternoon practice. No one must know of this."

"Poor Souji. I think we better get a make-up pet for him since Saizou has disappeared..."

* * *

After hours of trying, he had finally loosened the ropes that bound his wrists. _I should've been more careful...I should've cut down on sweets...I should've... _A coughing fit overtook him. He was weak from loss of blood and his illness. Okita prayed his friends were safe. His wrists were chafed raw. He freed his hands and then his ankles. 

How much time had passed while he drifted in and out of consciousness? It was dark in the room. Footsteps! He dodged into the shadows just as the door slid open. The guard only had time to see the undone ropes on the tatami before Okita ambushed him and dispatched him with his own sword.

Breathless from his exertions, the captain of the first patrol looked at the corpse with a grim satisfaction. He was armed now, but his shoulder was bleeding again. He must get back to the HQ alive. He needed to get out before... A woman's scream rang out. A waitress stood screaming in the corridor. He pushed his way past the screaming woman as men shouted commands from below.

* * *

Okita-san's not himself, Tetsu thought as he prepared Okita's medicine. Over dinner, he had actually yelled at Hotaru-san for spilling the soup over his lap. Throughout the meal, he made simple conversation on the weather. But Okita-san rarely made simple conversation at mealtimes. He cracked jokes, spoke of outrageous things, ribbed his brothers-in-arms... 

Kichisaburo was nursing a series of very painful pig-bites when Tetsu knocked. He quickly pulled his sleeve down to hide them. "Come in."

"Okita-san, your medicine," Tetsu placed the cup in front of him. "Leave it and go!" Kichisaburo snapped. He had taken an instant dislike to the redhead page.

"Something's bothering you, isn't it? Is it Hijitaka-san?" Tetsu flinched involuntarily as Kichisaburo fixed him with a withering glare. _Okita never glared at me like that before,_ Tetsu fidgeted. _This is not the gentle Okita-san I know..._

"But, Hijitaka-san says to make sure you take... Whoa!" Tetsu yelped in pain as he is thrown bodily out of the room. "I told you to go!" He sat rubbing his sore behind as the door slammed shut. _Geez, what's with the guy? Is he crabby at being left behind by the old demon?_

"Hey, Okita-san! A visit to the Temple School tomorrow will cheer you up!" Tetsu ducked just as the cup and tray sailed through the air and smashed into the tree behind him.

Inside the room, Kichisaburo cleaned his sword. This job was turning out to be tougher than he thought it would be. Now, he'd have to play his part as Okita-san. Maybe later, he could sneak out for some sport...

* * *

He was familiar with the maze of back-alleys. He had hunted there before with the wolves of Mibu many times. Now he was alone and the hunted. He had taken a fair number of them down but he was rapidly weakening. Outnumbered, he had no choice but to flee. He cannot afford to die, yet. 

Okita dodged into a side alley that brought him to the river. They got him cornered at the quay. Another man perished under Okita's blade. Several small boats were tied up by the bank. Okita learnt a bit of boats from a friend. The current should carry him to safety but the river was dangerously high with the past day's rain. He could be swept away to sea.

He took the gamble. With a leap, he landed on the deck of the nearest boat. It pitched. He slipped and fell backwards into the water.

"Nooo!" He hit his head against the side of the quay. Darkness. The waters closed in over him. His pursuers fled as the Shinsengumi Second Patrol came running to investigate the quayside disturbance. Blood flowed freely. The Miburou have killed again.

* * *

Author's notes:

OK, folks, an update. Tissues, anyone? Don't think a Hotaru-Okita pairing on the cards yet...

Ack! I've done it this time lol...hope I live to update soon. (Runs from angry katana-wielding Okita fangirls.) Believe me...


	5. Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK. Don't sue me, please.

Considering I've just escaped the wrath of the fangirls...here's an update before they catch up to me. Believe me, I haven't killed Okita-sama yet!

* * *

Chapter 5: Blood

"Souji! Wake up!" Hijitaka shook his friend's shoulders. Okita's eyes were open but unseeing in his pale face. A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his colorless lips. _Dead._ Okita Souji was lying dead in his arms...

"No! Souji!" Hijitaka awoke to find a concerned Saitou Hajime bending over him. They were staying in a dingy roadside inn. "Nightmare?" Hijitaka nodded weakly. He was still shaking. _It was too real._

"Che, I should be the one with the nightmares," Hajime grinned nervously. "Tokio-san may be an ogress..."

"Watch it, Hajime-kun. She's a cousin of Souji's."

"So you're saying there may be a family resemblance? How _very_ reassuring..." The two men settled back onto their futons. Hjijitaka remained awake the rest of the night. The nightmare was too real, _way too real._

* * *

Tetsu was tired. He never thought chess could be so tiring. Yamanami had asked him to play a round when he came with the tea. They had chatted well into the night. Tetsu even asked if Saya could help Hotaru-san. He thought of Saya's gentle smile and delicate hands. _If only things were so simple._ Yamanami-san loves Akesato-san, yet she is still stuck in Shimabara. _Life can be so damned unfair! _

Tetsu had forgotten about Okita's earlier rudeness. He tiptoed quietly past the sleeping men, stepping over Tatsu-nii. Moonlight spilled over the tatami. He opened the closet. The sheets were stained with a darkish substance. "Buhi!" Saizou butted Tetsu in the stomach.

"Saizou." Tetsu caught the pig before it fell. "You're hurt." Tetsu whispered to avoid waking the others. Saizou had an ugly gash across his back. Otherwise, he was unhurt. The generous layer of fat had protected his internal organs from the spear. Tetsu carried the pig towards Okita's room.

"Poor Saizou, Okita-san will take care of you...Saizou!" Tetsu yelped as the pig bit him and fled. _Stupid idiot! It isn't him in there!_ The pig had picked up the faint scent of blood coming from within the room. The little pig decided it will be all up to him to find his master.

"Saizou! Come back!" Tetsu chased the pig towards the gate. A cloud passed over the moon...Tetsu gasped as the moon came out, turned and ran to raise the alarm. The two sentries posted at the gate were lying dead in their own blood.

Saizou ran. He didn't have a clue where his master is. He just knew in his little piggy heart that his master needed him. Whatever dangers awaited him in the big, bad world, little Saizou will face them fearlessly.

* * *

The white-haired boy watched the figure on the futon with little interest. Kitsu-dono had fished him out of the river more dead than alive. During his short stay with her, the boy had learnt not to question, least the answer is not that he'd prefer. Ex-shinobi-turned-surgeon...whatever she was; she commanded his grudging respect. The fox, Kitsune played outside the rules. The stranger's eyes fluttered open. The boy put down the katana he had been cleaning.

"Kitsu-dono! He's awake."

The stranger groaned weakly and tried to sit up. A room in a rough shack. A wood fire burnt low in the heath. The smoke filled the room and threatened to choke him. He coughed.

A tall woman wearing a working smock entered. Her hair was dark as a raven's wing. Well into her forties, she walked with her back straight and her head held high. The stranger knew immediately that she was the one in charge. She bent over him, feeling his ribs and checking his wounds.

"More fluid than air in your lungs, I see, not from your little swim, too." Kitsune shook her head. "Not long for this sorry world, are we? At least give a name so we'll have something to put on your tombstone."

The patient opened his mouth. _What was his name?_ "I don't remember..." He answered helplessly. The woman and the boy stared at each other without speaking for several moments, then at the invalid.

"Guess we've gotta find that out," the woman spoke with a thin smile. "Drink this up first. It'd help your cough. Got the prescription from a demon long time ago...An old family recipe, so he claimed." The liquid she urged on him was bitter, yet strangely familiar. He drank it without hesitation.

* * *

Author's notes:

None. Too busy running from an angry mob.


	6. Kojirou

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK. Do not sue.

* * *

Chapter 6: Kojirou

_Suzu!_ Tetsu froze. His white-haired friend stared back with a look of undisguised hatred. Then he was gone. _Was it a figment of his imagination?_ Tetsu navigated his way through the crowd. Things were terrible. It was as if someone had hexed the Shinsengumi. The previous day's raid was a disaster. The Fifth Patrol had walked into an ambush. Two of their men were cut down on their doorstep. And Okita was acting real weird, almost scary...

Was it because of Hijitaka's absence? Or the loss of his pet? Tetsu cursed himself for letting the piglet escape. He had been torn between two duties then: his duty as a Shinsengumi taishi to raise the alarm; and his duty to his friend...What would Okita-san have done?

"Saizou! Where are you?" Tetsu yelled as he peered into another back alley. It's been several days. _Hope the porker hasn't wound up as someone's dinner..._

* * *

"Er, Heisuke-san," Shinpachi flinched as the bird let loose a string of expletives. "Where did you get this foul mouth?" The Comedian Trio had met up after searching for Okita's new pet. Shinpachi had caught a stray kitten earlier but it escaped after leaving him with angry claw-marks as a warning. 

"From an acquaintance. Look, he was giving it away," Heisuke retorted. The mynah flapped its wings and cawed out some colorful insults directed at the Shinsengumi. The trio cringed. _Now they know why Heisuke's friend was so eager to be rid of it._

"Er, what kind of company do you keep, Heisuke-kun? If Hijitaka-san hears this bird, it's yakitori." The trio stared at the bird. The bird blinked and let out another selection of choice words into Harada's face.

"That's it! The damn thing is yakitori now!" The giant roared. "Sano!" The two men tried to restrain their huge friend.

"Hey, isn't that Tetsu-kun? Tetsu-kun!" Shinpachi waved to the passing redhead. Sanosuke's rage dissipated. "What're you doing in such a hurry, Tetsu-kun?"

"It's Okita's pet, Saizou. He escaped some nights back," Tetsu panted. "I want to find him..."

"Yahoo! I told you guys I didn't kill the pig!" Harada whooped for joy. Heisuke and Shinpachi groaned. _So much for their secret..._ Tetsu's eyes narrowed as he pulled himself onto the giant's chest by Harada's collar. "Care to explain that, Harada-san? If you're in any way responsible..." Harada sweatdropped.

* * *

Suzu trudged along the dirt path. This is the slum-quarter of Kyoto, a rough place. He held his swords by his side, ready, alert, _untested._ The incident at Ikeda-ya still galled him. Seeing Tetsu-kun brought it all back to him. His master's death. _What if he had disobeyed?_ Afterwards, he had been lost...maybe he still is. Drifting along, alone... 

Kitsune-dono often found the need to visit patients at night in this dangerous neighborhood. The woman needed an armed escort to fend off unwanted attention, although Suzu secretly suspected she is capable of holding her own in a fight.

_Crap!_ He accidentally bumped into someone. "Watch where you're going, brat!" Several burly men surrounded him. A sword is drawn. _Country samurai, out for sport._ Suzu smiled grimly as he reached for his own.

* * *

Kitsune smiled to herself and watched idly as the children laughed and played with Kojirou. _Kojirou. _She had given the young stranger the name of the son she had lost. His memories were wiped clean by his nasty head wound. However, that wound and the others he had suffered were healing well. The medicine will keep his illness at bay a while longer. _Hijitaka may be a slimy bastard, but at least he knows medicine. _Despite herself, she chuckled. 

A fight! Kojirou stood up as the clash of swords rang out. His eyes and ears scanned the surroundings as if searching for its source. Kitsune quickly ushered the kids to safety. _Damn those samurai, damn them all to hell!_ _The only purpose for those bastards' existence was filling the morgue where she now worked._

If that boy Suzu's in some way involved, let him go to hell as well! At least he'd be meeting his master there...

* * *

Author's notes:

Night owl: OK, a double update. I've escaped the angry fangirls.

I'm assuming Suzu has never seen Okita before. I want to write up a bit on what happened to him after the end of the anime.

Sport-killing of peasants by samurai was actually legal to an extent in Tokugawa Japan. Working in a morgue was considered one of the lowest forms of work around, below that of a prostitute. Such work was carried out by outcasts of society. (Kitsu-dono has little respect for the samurai or the social pecking order)


	7. Sword

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK. Don't sue me, please.

Chapter 7: Sword

Suzu's katana was knocked out of his grasp. He dodged his opponent's blade as it slashed the air inches from his flesh. _Dammit!_ His katana lay just beyond his reach. He'd have to use his...A swing caught his thigh. He fell over. A flash of grey. A spurt of red. Suzu watched in disbelief as Kojirou slit the throat of a samurai who had threatened him.

"Suzu! Get here, quick!" Kitsu-dono yanked Suzu away from the fight. They watched the rest of the battle from a safe distance. Kojirou was a master, no doubt on that. With Suzu's katana, he swiftly sent the other samurai the same way as he'd sent their fellow. His eyes had an almost demonic look in them. Suzu gasped. The guy's as skilled as his late master.

He stole a glance at Kitsune. Her face was pinched; the lips set in a thin line. She appeared almost angry. _Bloody samurai-bastards!_ "He's killed before, more than once..." She whispered as the last of the ruffians is disemboweled.

Kojirou handled the fight well, too well. He had leapt to Suzu's defence without thinking. In fact, he had reacted instinctively throughout. Now, he stood holding the bloody sword, with blood splattered on his grey yutaka, vaguely confused. _A sword. Someone had given it to him when he was a child. Some memory was stirring in him. A face, a voice..._

"Are you gonna stand there and stare? Quick, before the Miburou come, then there'll be hell to pay!" Kojirou allowed his companions to haul him away from the scene. They left the slain lying in the street.

* * *

Kitsune was in a foul mood. She urged both boys to change into clean yutakas, left the bloodstained clothes to soak before leaving for the morgue. Suzu and Kojirou sat on the wooden floor with their backs facing, lost in their own separate thoughts. _Who taught him? _Kojirou cannot recall. It was imprinted in his muscles, every thrust and parry...Blood. He noticed his wound had re-opened.

_Crying. Someone was crying softly..._He cannot tell if it were reality or a dream. _I want to become stronger... Miburou..._the word was familiar to him.

"I still wasn't strong enough," Suzu spoke finally. "When the Miburou came, my master..." The boy choked back a sob. "He sent me to get help. I promised to come back for him...No one answered...I went back alone. He was gone." _Dead._ Kojirou grasped the meaning. "Killed by those damned Shinsengumi wolves!"

Startled, Suzu felt a pair of arms hugging him. Kojirou. He turned and buried his face in the older boy's good shoulder. Kojirou just sat there and let Suzu sob out his frustrations. _A redhead boy crying, scared, confused... another glimpse of his forgotten past. _A long while later, Kojirou spoke.

"You must have some memories of the good times you had with your master...unlike me. I can recall anything...Suzu-kun, do you really want to became stronger that badly?"

"Of course, I want to become stronger, even if I become a demon!" _A demon's child._ Kojirou started. Had he used that phrase to describe himself before he lost his memory? _Who was he? Unmissed by any friends or family..._

"Buhi!" A piglet cannonballed into both boys. "Saizou!" The name came to his lips easily. _Why was he so happy?_ Kojirou hugged the animal to his chest. Saizou had finally found his master. "You're hurt..." Kojirou traced a newly formed scar on Saizou's back gently with his finger.

Against the odds, Saizou had found his beloved master. Now he nuzzled his master with all the love in his piggy heart.

Suzu stared at the pig and Kojirou. _Great, the guy has bacon for friends!_ The pig glared at Suzu as if reading his thoughts. Kojirou just laughed and tickled the piglet who buhied in delight. With a shrug, Suzu left his new friend alone with the piglet.

* * *

Author's notes:

Can't resist playing up Kojirou's nice big brotherly persona.

Lydia Blessing: Kichi has been a very busy boy, trust me. (Why do you think the Shinsengumi's having an unlucky streak?)


	8. Shadow

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK, I only derive a harmless enjoyment from this fanfic, nothing else.

* * *

Chapter 8: Shadow

Kichisaburo was bored. Those two sentries were a mistake, the Choushu was unhappy about that. As Okita, he could leave the compound without resorting to violence. The other sentries had greeted him politely as he left the compound, often to report to the Choushu or for a bit of sport at night to keep his sword keen. Little did they suspect that the real Okita-san is dead.

Hijitaka, the assassin growled under his breath. The Choushu hired him to infiltrate the Shinsengumi and, if possible, discreetly remove its leaders. Kichisaburo touched the scar Hijitaka gave him on his last job. Yes, Hijitaka will die once he returns to Kyoto. For now there's always the afternoon practice. His eyes gleamed with sinister delight.

* * *

A shadow hung over the compound and they don't need Saitou to tell them so. Kondo massaged his temples as he reviewed the week's report. The past few raids have ended in disaster. Their men charged into buildings either to find them empty or a bloody reception awaiting them. There been a sharp rise in the number of sport-killings of innocent civilians at night. And the murdered sentries. 

"Kondo-san, Kondo-san!" Yamanami's voice cut into his thoughts. "I'm worried about Souji." The second-in-command had dark circles under his eyes. "What about the boy, San-nan?" Kondo groaned. _As if they hadn't enough troubles on their hands..._"Is it his health?"

"On the contrary, he's fine physically..." Yamanami coughed uncomfortably. "It's his manner...He seems, well, subdued. You've been too caught up with your work lately, or you'll realize he hasn't sprung any surprises on us...he may be just sulking over Toshi..." It was true. The normally cheery captain has not dropped in on them for a while.

"Also, he hasn't snuck up on Ichimura-kun since Toshi left." Okita had made a game of sneaking up on the assistant treasurer and surprising the poor man, often leaving the account books in disarray. "You don't suppose it's the wedding...I mean, Tokio is his cousin...it's not uncommon for a boy to feel that way about an older..."

Kondo laughed. _How long had he not laughed?_ "San-nan! You think too much. It's been years since those two met! If I remember correctly, Souji was running away from Tokio-chan then. She trashed him at kendo and he came running to Toshi...Those were the days..."

The shadow over the two men was temporarily lifted by the memory of the past. Yamazaki Susumu waited in the adjoining room with his report. He has spent the better part of his days spying on various buildings, including a dessert shop. Tetsu-kun had asked him to look out for the missing Saizou. He was exhausted.

Why isn't Okita kicking up a fuss about Saizou? What is the Choushu up to? Why is it even with the information he gathered, the raids still failed miserably? It was as if they were expected. Was he losing his touch? Or is it...

Hotaru walked by with the tea tray. An ugly thought popped into his mind. True, he resented Hotaru taking over what was his sister's kitchen. The men had got enough of Shinpachi's cooking and Okita recommended her for the post. She's harmless, right? _She's the worst shinobi about!_ What if that was a farce...

* * *

The sickening crunch of bone. A scream of pain. The victim fell with his shoulder broken. His comrades rushed to his aid. The duel should have ended when the captain effectively disarmed his opponent by knocking the wooden sword into the air and across the room. The last blow was unnecessary. Tetsu watched the first patrol's practice session from the doorway. 

"Oops, sorry," Okita muttered the words off-handedly. He did not see to his opponent but strode out past Tetsu without even a backward glance. Tetsu noticed the corners of Okita's mouth were turned up as if in an amused smile. _He was enjoying himself! _

The same slender figure, the same long silky hair but those eyes lacked the gentle warmth he knew so well. Tetsu shivered as he hurried off to his chores. Away from the training hall and away from what he had witnessed.

The Comedian Trio argued over whether to buy Okita a new piglet or continue their search for Saizou when they returned from yet another unsuccessful day's search. _Without Hijitaka and Saitou about, shouldn't the compound be in a lighter mood? Instead it was oppressive..._

* * *

Author's notes: 

Told you they are having unlucky streak. Kichi has been a very bad boy (the way we luv him). Poor Okita-sama...


	9. Suspicions

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK. Please do not sue me, it's not worth your time and effort.

Here's another update. Senbi's on a roll...

* * *

Chapter 9: Suspicions

"I am not a shinobi anymore!" Hotaru snapped. "Lemme go!" Susumu had confronted Hotaru in the kitchen. Hotaru tried to squirm free but Susumu only tightened his grip on her wrist. The kitchen chores were still waiting. She had no time for any nonsense. She kicked his shin. He stepped backwards, tripped over a stool and fell backwards, pulling the lighter girl down on top of him.

"Hotaru-san! Where do you want the..." Shinpachi's eyes bulged at the sight of their new cook sitting astride the moaning shinobi. Heisuke and Sanosuke popped in with the vegetable sacks. Tetsu ran in. "What happened? I heard a loud crash...er, is this a bad time?" The red-faced pair quickly disentangled themselves.

Susumu left the kitchen hurriedly, leaving Hotaru to fend off any jests by the trio. Tetsu ran after the spiky-haired shinobi. _He has to talk to someone about Okita-san...Susumu will listen, _Tetsu hoped. Tatsu had brushed off his worries when he voiced them and Yamanami was out at Akesato's.

"Don't tell Okita-sama, please!" Hotaru pleaded as the trio guffawed. "Good for you, Hotaru-chan, you landed a real guy," Harada chortled. "Got tired of chasing after Okita-san?"

"Hijitaka-san...did say you're not to stalk Okita-san..." Heisuke gasped for breath. "Who thought you'd land Susumu so soon! Just as well, since Okita prefers Shimabara...Ow!" Shinpachi jabbed his friend in the ribs. _You needn't tell her that..._

"Shimabara?" Hotaru frowned. "The red-light district? But he isn't that sort!"

"Grow up, girl. All guys go there for fun, even puppy-kun!" Heisuke slapped Shinpachi's shoulder. "With Hijitaka out, Okita can fool around every night! Of course some say he's been moonlighting there since Hijitaka docked his pay." _Whatever it is, at least it keeps him from coming after our hides..._ With a shriek, Hotaru fled for her room.

* * *

Dark corridors. Someone is yelling out orders. Fighting. The clash of steel. The screams of the dying. Blood. It was splattered over his blue and white uniform. _Did he have a uniform?_ Sword in hand and comrades by his side... Danger...Death...A surrounding he was well used to. 

Suddenly he is gasping for breath. Can't move...can't breathe. A dead weight pressed down on his chest. He flailed wildly. Choking on the blood he coughed out from his lungs. He was having an attack.

"Kitsu-dono!" His roommate cried out. "He's in bad shape..." A woman's indistinct voice. _A reassuring voice, a comforting hand...the face he cannot put a name to._ Kojirou was fighting for his life against the illness that attacked him from within. _He always sat by the bedside when he was ill. Always..._Saizou nudged his master worriedly.

Suzu was worried. He hadn't been so worried since Ikeda-ya. Kitsu-dono sat Kojirou up so he will not choke on his own blood. Finally, the attack eased and he fell back into a fitful sleep. A frantic young man called. His pregnant wife had fallen and was bleeding. Kitsune left Suzu to watch Kojirou and left with the man.

Suzu absently patted the pig and got a nip for it. He hoped Kojirou will recover. He was beginning to think of him as a friend. Kojirou is in many ways similar to Tetsu. Maybe not so childish or loud, but they both had the same honest warmth Suzu liked. _No! Tetsu was never his friend! He could never be...because...he's Miburou.

* * *

_

"You think something's not right with Okita-san? I think it's just stress. Same as me!" Susumu was not listening.

"You didn't look too stressed with Hotaru-san..." They were in Susumu's room. Susumu was preparing to leave on a mission.

"Spread it about and I'll wring your neck!" Susumu groaned inwardly. With the Comedian Trio as witnesses to his accident, it'd be all over the barracks by morning. He diverted the conversation. "I suspect Hotaru-san's up to something..."

"Like what?" Tetsu looked at him through innocent eyes. "She's been very busy with the kitchen chores. She's about as serious about the kitchen as Ayu-nee..." He froze as the shinobi shot him an angry glare. "Okita-san recommended her. She never denied having being a shinobi or working for the Choushu before...You even said she's the lousiest shinobi in the business! The worst she can get up to is stalking Okita-san again."

Yamazaki Susumu grinned. Hotaru is a poor stalker. Okita knew she was stalking him and chose to ignore it. Hijitaka, however, had enough and set down the "no-stalking" house rule. To her credit, Hotaru re-focused her attentions to cooking her Okita-sama's meals.

"Still, I'd keep an eye on her," Susumu ruffled Tetsu's hair as he gathered up his kunai. _And Okita-san too, _he thought as they left the room. _The kid is not entirely wrong...

* * *

_

Daylight. A figure sat by his bedside. _It's not right. The figure was much too slight. The hair color's wrong. The smell of tobacco is absent._ Kojirou sat up. Saizou leapt into his lap. Suzu started as his friend awoke. "I'll get you some breakfast!" Kojirou watched as Suzu left. Still too weak to get up, he hugged Saizou and wondered what was missing.

* * *

Author's notes:

OK, so the Comedians are making bad jokes about Kichi's night outings. Yamazaki's barking up the wrong tree. Nothing much to say here, but hope you guys & gals out there enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Cheerio!


	10. Hotaru

Disclaimer: The usual, I do not own PMK.

* * *

Chapter 10: Hotaru

Hotaru found she cannot concentrate. She had added too much salt to the fish at lunch and ruined it. Twice she had washed the same pot. _It's all thanks to those rumors she heard the night before!_ She wiped her hands on her apron and faced the evening's challenge of washing dishes. _Those things can't be true of her Okita-sama..._

"Okita-sama!" She squeaked as a familiar figure crossed the yard. He was wearing a dark yutaka and his swords. He was going out. Should she? Hijitaka-san had warned her against stalking Okita-sama, but Hijitaka-san is not around. She tore off her apron and left the dirty dishes.

Kichisaburo strode past the sentries unchallenged. Night was falling. Blood doesn't show much on dark colors, he mused. He knew the schedule and routes favored by the patrols. It adds to the thrill knowing that the Miburou are a street away as he killed his victim.

Hotaru scampered over the compound wall. She caught a glimpse of her Okita-sama and followed. He did not notice her as she darted from shadow to shadow to stay out of his sight. _How exciting!_ She stifled a giggle. She had almost forgotten the thrill of stalking him.

* * *

Tetsu was looking forward to meeting Saya the next day. They had promised to go to the shrine together. His heart was singing as he clambered into the closet. His swords fell out with a clatter. He hasn't used them since Ikeda-ya. One of the blades had fallen out of the sheath. Tetsu felt strangely uneasy.

What was wrong with Okita-san lately? It was as if someone had replaced him with a stranger. With a sigh, Tetsu sheathed his swords and replaced them. He missed the old cheerful Okita-san.

* * *

She'd lost him and was lost as well. Hotaru glanced about worriedly. She was unfamiliar with this side of town. The alleys all appeared the same to her. Why would Okita-sama come here? She chose a winding alley and walked along it, hoping it'd bring her back to familiar ground. A scream rang out and was abruptly cut off. She gasped.

In the moonlight, a figure stood over an old man lying in a pool of blood with blood gleaming on his blade, his back facing her. She knew immediately that old man was dead. She stepped backwards involuntarily and knocked over some bamboo poles with a tremendous clatter. The figure slowly turned his bloodstained face towards her. _It was Okita-sama._

"Too bad for you, Hotaru-san. I guess I'll have to kill you now." She watched as he approached her and slowly raised his katana.

_No! It can't be him!_ She was speechless and frozen with disbelief. Then fear set in. It was not Okita-sama! It was that scary imposter! "You're not Okita-sama!" She yelled, turned and fled just as Kichisaburo brought the blade down...

* * *

Susumu had spent the better part of the evening as a woman inquiring about work at several inns suspected to be Choushu hideouts. He had worn one of Ayu-nee's old work kimonos. He was returning to the barracks when he found himself there. _Yes, this was the very same spot he found his sister..._

Memories came flooding back. _I'm always running behind you because I can never catch up. Sister, will I ever become a great shinobi like you? _He looked up at the starry sky, remembering his sister's smiling face. He had stood for goodness knew how long when someone ran headlong into him.

It was a young woman barely able to stand. Her back felt wet and sticky to his touch. Blood! It stained the sleeves of his kimono as it flowed out of a deep gash on the girl's back. _Another attack,_ he thought. She could bleed to death in his arms here, unless...

Kitsune-sensei! Her place was the nearest. Shouldering the girl, Susumu hurried through the back alleys. In his haste, he twisted his ankle painfully in a pothole.

* * *

The woman put aside the yutaka she was mending and watched the two sleeping boys. The younger one fidgeted constantly as he dreamed. The older one slept more soundly due to the medicine she had given him. They reminded her of her own son. Her precious Kojirou-chan. On nights like this, she half-expects him to come back...

Urgent knocking on the door. Kitsune rose and opened it. Outside were two figures in blood-splattered kimonos. "Ayumu-chan?" She corrected herself, "Susumu-chan." She took one look at the injured girl and ushered them both into the back room. Susumu did not notice the piglet curled up near one of the futons.

* * *

Author's notes:

OK, an update. Hijitaka's still out of town.

Kitsune knows the Yamazaki siblings. Won't elaborate on their history except Kitsu-dono has something against Hijitaka.


	11. Dumb Luck

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK.

Thanks for the reviews & support.

* * *

Chapter 11: Dumb Luck

It was growing late. The man quickened his step. Yamanami was returning to the barracks when he stopped to buy Okita's favorite cakes. They've been ignoring him lately...He was pleasantly surprised to see Okita standing by the deserted road.

"Souji-chan! I bought your favorite..." The moonlight glinted off the crimson-smeared blade in Okita's hand. "What happened?" The street was empty besides the two of them. The silence which followed was deafening. Okita's eyes were cold as he spoke.

"Guess what, Yamanami-san, that Hotaru's real good at running, but I'm sure I got her..." Yamanami's mind reeled. _Is this a bad dream?_ Then he saw the crumpled pile of the earlier victim. "Souji! Are you responsible for this?" The assassin approached him slowly. _He means it._ Yamanami gripped his sword hilt shakily.

"Souji, what's got into you? What will Toshi say?" He received an ugly laugh in reply. "Hijitaka? He'd tell you, when you meet up in the afterlife! I'm not your precious Souji-chan, old man. Cutting down unarmed civilians and those sentries is not really entertaining."

Yamanami dodged as the blade sliced the air above his head. _He's good._ Yamanami drew his sword. The cakes were trampled to the dirt in the fight.

Kondo was roused from his sleep by an urgent message from the Seventh Patrol. They had happened upon the aftermath of an attack on Okita and Yamanami. The latter is so badly wounded the doctors weren't sure he'd live. Okita was fortunate to have escaped unhurt. The assailants have yet to be found. Kondo hurried to his friend's bedside.

Yamanami was unconscious. A thrust which should have killed him had been deflected by his abacus. Kondo regarded the nicked abacus with disbelief. _San-nan must have had someone watching out for him._ Okita excused himself with an angry look on his face.

* * *

"Hotaru-san?" Susumu recognized her as Suzu brought in the lamp. Kitsune ordered the youngster to bring bandages and hot water. "Suzu, you can go sleep now. You, come help me." Susumu looked away as the older woman pulled the bloodied kimono off her patient's shoulders to expose the ugly wound. 

"Wash your hands then hold her wound together!" He obeyed. It was pointless to argue with Kitsune-sensei. The wound was deep and they needed to work quickly. Thankfully, the girl was unconscious. If she should awake during the surgery and start thrashing about, they'll, no he'd have to hold her. That's why Kitsune-sensei wanted him helping instead of the kid.

She stitched the gaping wound silently and swiftly. The boy Susumu has grown since she last saw him. He seemed much older. No doubt Ayumu's death had affected him. Hopefully, he had her resolve and will to move on with his life. _Loss, death, they're unavoidable._ Kitsune sighed as she put in the final stitches.

Hotaru had remained unconscious throughout but her pulse was steady. "You've twisted your ankle. Let's take a look at it," Kitsune turned her attention to Susumu. She sat him down on the mats. "Afterwards, I'll get you a clean yutaka."

"Arigato, sensei, I must be going back..." Yamazaki Susumu fell asleep from sheer exhaustion where he sat leaning against the wall. Kitsune shook her head. Like his sister, he often failed to observe his own limits. After draping a blanket across him, she went to sit by the girl's bedside. His employers shouldn't be too worried about him yet. _They took long enough to worry about Ayumu... Hopefully, Susumu will wise up and quit._

Kojirou awoke to find Saizou nuzzling him. He picked up the piglet. Suzu was still asleep although the sun was shining on him. Kitsu-dono was nowhere to be seen. He became aware of another person in the room. _A woman?_ Her hair hung disheveled about a very familiar face. Kojirou tiptoed over.

_Ayu-nee? No, Ayu-nee's dead._ Kojirou felt a stab of sorrow. "Buhi!" Saizou leapt out of his master's arms and onto the sleeping shinobi. Susumu awoke with a start, drew his kunai and dropped it in disbelief. He stared at Kojirou for several minutes before finding his voice again.

"Okita-san?! What are you doing here?" He gripped Kojirou by the shoulders. The young man stared back blankly. "You know who I am?" Kojirou got the words out slowly. _If this woman, or man, held the answer to his lost identity..._

"Easy on him, Susumu. He got a nasty knock to the head," Kitsune yawned. "Doesn't even know his own name...He isn't your Okita. Saw the damned First Patrol and their captain prowling about two nights ago. And Kojirou here was lying ill in this room then. Jeez, they're a pack of common criminals." Kitsune hated the Miburou.

It must be a case of mistaken identity. Susumu let go of Kojirou. Then he noticed the little piglet butting his ankles. "Saizou?" The pig leapt into Kojirou's arms the way he did only with Okita.

Hotaru awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar room. She limped painfully to the door and saw... "Okita-sama! It's really Okita-sama!"

* * *

Author's notes: 

Thanks for the reviews. BTW, Hijitaka & Saitou should be returning to Kyoto real soon...


	12. Sayonara

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK.

* * *

Chapter 12: Sayonara 

"Lie down before you open your wound, girl! You mustn't get up for the next few days!" Kitsune took Hotaru firmly by the arm and led her back to the futon.

"Susumu, the Okita who attacked me last night isn't the real Okita! He's an imposter! Believe me!" The girl called out. _Dammit! If she were right then..._Susumu's blood ran cold. _He was looking at the real Okita. _

Kondo and Yamanami will know what to do. He'd have to take this Okita back. "Can't you recall anything? Please, think!" Susumu changed out of his bloodied garments into a clean grey yutaka. He tied up his hair. "Why are you laughing?" The young man chortled as if he had thought of a very funny joke. The man was testing his patience.

"Someone mistook you for Ayu-nee and tried to kiss you. Then you fought. A spear got thrown through my window. Saizou and I thought we were being attacked...and you fell over poor Saizou. I don't know why I'm thinking of it, but it's so funny."

"Heavens! You really are Okita Souji, Captain of the Shinsengumi First Patrol." The part about the spear had been omitted from the official story. The culprit Harada would have suffered Hijitaka's wrath for it. He could have been ordered to commit seppuku. Okita had laughed off his initial fright and covered up for him then. Apart from the Comedian Trio's Harada, no one else had known about it. "Okita-san, you must come with me," Susumu said urgently.

"I know, there's something important but I can't remember..." Okita frowned and coughed. _His illness!_ The shinobi feared he was having a relapse. "I'm fine," Okita stopped coughing.

"You shouldn't get into any more fights. Doesn't do your lungs any good," Kitsune chipped in. "But I must go, Kitsu-dono. Don't ask me why, but I know I must because I'm one of them," Okita spoke with a fierce conviction he didn't know he had.

Kitsune sucked in her breath._ How very like her Kojirou..."_If you must take him with you, at least let him take this." Kitusne held out a sword. "Keep it. I guess this is sayonara then, Okita-san. Try to stay out of the morgue a while longer." She bowed formally as Okita accepted her gift. She watched the two young men leave with the piglet trotting after them. _Kojirou's sword. She had given away her son's sword. Just as well, this way, she can start anew..._ She went to fetch water from the well.

"So he is Miburou..." Unobserved in the commotion, Suzu had watched the drama play out. _First Tetsu, now Kojirou, no, Kojirou never existed to start with. _That is Okita Souji. That sure explains why he's so skilled with a sword. _Lying bastards! _He let out a bitter laugh.

When Kitsune returned, Suzu had taken the swords his master left him and gone. She shrugged. The boy can take care of himself. If not, well, she'd be seeing him about at the morgue.

* * *

_Why are you so distracted, Tetsu?_ Saya asked in her wordless manner. _What's worrying you?_ "Nothing," Tetsu patted her hand where she held his. _I need not worry her about the attack last night, or Okita's behavior, or Saizou's disappearance..._ Today was their day off and they'll go to the shrine and... 

Okita-san! Tetsu saw the first captain. Okita was still wearing his uniform from his morning's patrol. Strange, he was talking alone with a man at a snack shop and suspected Choushu hideout. "Wait for me at the shrine, Saya."

He walked closer. To his horror, he overheard the captain mention the date of a planned raid. _No! It has to be a misunderstanding. Okita must be asking about when the new stock of sweets is coming in._ "Is it Tatsu?" The captain turned. "Tetsu," Tetsu corrected. "Were you asking about sweets for the children at the Temple School?" _Okita-san never got his name wrong..._

"Right, Tetsu," Kichisaburo smiled coldly. The old man Yamanami was much tougher than he had thought. And now this little rat seems to have found him in an awkward situation. _Who knows what he had heard._ "Care to come for a walk, Tetsu-chan? It'd only take a while..." Tetsu hesitated before agreeing. _Okita-san was smiling, right? Maybe he has got over his bad mood...He could always catch up with Saya later._

Saya watched Tetsu walk off with the captain. Somehow, the smile on the captain's face disturbed her. It reminded her of a cat about to eat a sparrow. She trailed a distance behind them; half-afraid Tetsu will turn and see her.

* * *

Author's notes: 

DarkFusion: Gomen, don't think I can squeeze in any pairings (Tetsu/Saya or Okita/Hotura) in this fic. I think it kinda wound up being a Okita/ Hijitaka thing with occasional comedy by the Comedians.I kinda like the idea of a Tetsu-Saya fanfic as they grow. Maybe later.

I'm surprised the character Kitsune turned out quite well as a tough matronly type with her likes/ dislikes and quirks.

Stay tuned.


	13. Coming Together

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK.

* * *

Chapter 13: Coming Together

They were walking slowly because of Susumu's injured ankle. The streets here are familiar to him. The teahouse, the sword seller's...He stopped suddenly. A redhead boy and a young man wearing the Shinsengumi uniform passed them on the opposite side of the street. _Tetsu-kun!_ Without thinking, he crossed the busy street. _The boy's in danger!_ He did not know how or why he knew.

"Stupid pig! Were you trying to get killed?" Susumu saved Saizou from being run over by a wagon as they tried to follow their friend. Saizou squealed in protest. When they looked up, they had lost sight of Okita.

* * *

_Why is this so familiar?_ Tetsu thought as they came to a small fenced compound with the skeleton of a burnt house in it. The sight of its half-burnt roof and charred pillars made him uneasy. This was where Suzu had tried to kill him... "It's quiet enough here, no one about," his companion sounded bored.

Tetsu sensed the katana being drawn behind him. He rolled to safety as the blade slashed the air. "Okita-san! Why are you doing this?"

"Simple, because you're the enemy." Tetsu winced as the assassin slashed his arm open. _Okita-san wouldn't hurt me..._he remembered the night Saizou ran away. _The pig knew. This is an imposter!_ Tetsu grabbed a bamboo pole as a weapon, _hope this works..._

Saya screamed silently when she saw the attack on Tetsu. She turned and fled, knowing she needed to get help. Okita had lost track of the pair when he saw a girl in a pink kimono running out from an alley. He ran into the alley and towards the fight...

* * *

"Must we put up these ugly posters?" Shinpachi waved a sheet of the "Lost Pig" posters the Comedian Trio had been putting up since dawn. "I not saying Sano-kun's a lousy artist," he added as Harada shot him a murderous look. "But the picture looks nothing like a pig!"

"The big circle's Saizou's head and the little one's his snout...Oof!" Harada almost fell over as Saya ran full-tilt into him. "Saya-chan? Are you hurt?" Saya shook her head and gestured frantically to the trio. _Tetsu needs help! Follow me!_

"I think she wants us to follow," Heisuke said as Saya nodded. She turned to lead them and promptly tripped over her sandal strap. "Harada-san! I think you better carry her." Harada picked up the girl as if she were a sack of vegetables.

* * *

_I'm doomed..._Tetsu tried his hardest to be brave as Kichisaburo closed in for the kill. There's no way the flimsy bamboo pole's gonna stand up... He closed his eyes as the blade descended. The ring of steel on steel. Tetsu opened his eyes. Okita-san? Okita-san was standing in front of him, blocking the imposter's sword.

"Tetsu-kun, please, this is personal," Okita said quietly. Tetsu mutely scampered to a safe distance. This is Okita's fight. The two young men glared at each other, their swords drawn. Today, only one of them will live...

* * *

Hijitaka and Saitou had just returned. They had reached the Takagi residence to learn the bride-to-be had gotten tired of waiting and left for Kyoto. Now it's Saitou's turn to chase after Tokio and he did so willingly. Saitou said something about sensing her strong fighting spirit in Takagi's training hall. Now he actually seems eager to court the lady. He's totally intrigued by the fiancée he has yet to meet.

Saitou had gone on ahead when the hope of getting some clues to Tokio's whereabouts from Souji. Hijitaka made a detour to buy Souji some candy to make up for having left him behind. _Will Souji prefer the candied cherries or the peppermint? _

_What the heck..._He watched in disbelief as the Shinsengumi Comedian Trio ran past with a girl tucked under Harada's arm like rag doll. _What in Buddha's name are those clowns up to?_ _If they're molesting young girls..._Forgetting the candy, he ran after them. "Stop! You clowns are in deep trouble!"

Heisuke looked over his shoulder and blanched. "Guys, the Demon's after us! Shit! He knows about Saizou!" The trio accelerated with Hijitaka hot on their heels. The good citizens of Kyoto looked at each other and shrugged. It's just another day...

* * *

Author's notes:

Hijitaka-san's back. He does have a real bad impression of the Trio.


	14. Death Duel

Disclaimer: I do not own PMK. Don't sue me.

* * *

Chapter 14: Death-Duel

Okita parried a well-aimed thrust. Kichisaburo has proved every bit as good a swordsman as Okita. It'd be a close fight. They were equally quick and skilled. However, Okita has a disadvantage. Tetsu prayed the duel will end before Okita's body gave out. Already Okita was gasping for breath.

Kichisaburo dashed into the burnt out house. Okita followed. It was dark inside. The gloom broken by bits of sunlight that streamed in through the thatch. Kichisaburo attacked from behind. Okita responded swiftly to escape serious injury. Pain shot through his chest. He coughed. Blood.

Tetsu peered into the shadows of the building from a safe distance. He could make out a bit of movement, and the flash as a sword caught the light. _Okita-san will be alright, wouldn't he? _Tetsu heard the thunder of running footsteps behind him.

"Saya?" He was very surprised to see Harada Sanosuke running into the yard with Saya under his arm. He was even more surprised when Shinpachi and Heisuke followed close behind with the Demon himself in pursuit. _Well, here's the cavalry..._ He sweatdropped as Hijitaka caught up with Shinpachi, hoisted the shorter man into the air and shook him like a mat.

"You guys better have a good explanation for...Tetsu? What's going on here?" Hijitaka let go of Shinpachi as he noticed his page. "Okita-san! Oki-san's in there fighting with an imposter!" Tetsu pointed at the burnt out house.

"Boy, I warn you. This better not be a lame-brained joke..." _Could Souji really be in there?_ He sincerely hoped not. _But the boy looks serious..._

"Kitsune-sensei said he shouldn't be fighting," Susumu groaned as he followed Saizou into the yard. "Kitsune?" Hijitaka glared at the shinobi. "What's that woman got to do with this?"

* * *

The rafters had been weakened by flames. Now they creaked dangerously as the men fought. _A quick thrust of the blade...a burning pain._ Okita reached up and felt blood flowing out of his shoulder. Kichisaburo's sword had pierced through it. _Has his blade found its mark? He couldn't be sure._

The assassin was slumped over, the color draining from his face. Okita realized his hands were sticky not only with his blood, but the blood of his opponent. Okita's sword was buried in the assassin's chest to the hilt. Again, he had killed. Okita had won.

Bits of charred wood and moldy thatch were falling. He pushed the body off his sword and fell weakly to his knees on the dusty floor. Grabbing Kichisaburo's blade, he yanked it out of his shoulder. He was spent. Outside were excited voices, lots of them. Some angry, some anxious...Saizou's familiar squeal...

"Souji! Get out quick!" Hijitaka cried out. The spectators watched in horror as the roof fell in completely, burying both combatants inside. "Souji!" _Darkness. Suffocating darkness. Pain racked his frame. Can't breathe... can't move..._

Dimly, he became aware of hands digging him out from the rubble. _Daylight._ Someone rolled him over onto his back. Strong arms held him close. "Souji! Wake up!" _That voice..._

"Hijitaka-san?" Okita's eyes fluttered open and he managed a weak smile. He looked up into the faces of his friends: Tetsu and Saya, Susumu, Saizou, the Comedian Trio...and most of all, Hijitaka. "I'm alright, really..." With that, he fainted in Hijitaka's arms.

* * *

Okita opened his eyes to find himself lying on a futon in his own room. By his bedside, Hijitaka sat half-dozing. Okita quietly got up and whispered into his friend's ear. "Thank you for saving me again, Toshi." Hijitaka woke up.

"Souji, you shouldn't be out of bed yet," Hijitaka admonished him. "Besides, I wasn't just me. The others helped dig you out too." His face reddened with embarrassment. _What can he do about the boy?_ Okita smiled impishly at him. "I don't think I ever really forgot you, even when I forgot your name." Before Hijitaka can protest, Okita gave him a bear-hug, just as the door slid wide open. _Don't they ever knock?_

"Great to see you back to your old self, Souji," Kondo beamed as he entered the room. He stepped out of the way as Saizou leapt into Okita's arms. "No more Shinpachi's bad cooking!" Harada added as the Trio appeared. "Susumu says Hotaru will be returning tomorrow." Shinpachi did not seem too happy...

"Hijitaka-san, where's Saitou? Did he marry Tokio this time?" Hijitaka shook his head. "Tokio ran off to Kyoto before we got there. Saitou's out searching for her now. I think he's actually interested in her." Souji stifled a giggle then burst out chuckling. _Poor Saitou. Looks like Tokio had him right where she wanted._

Yamanami limped in leaning heavily on Tatsu's shoulder. "How I missed that laugh, Souji!"

"San-nan! You shouldn't be up, yet..." Hijitaka complained.

"Okita-san! Great to have the real you back!" Tetsu scrambled in and gave Okita a hug. 'Tetsu! Careful of his injuries!" Hijitaka pulled his page off Okita and sat him down firmly on the tatami. "Please! Give Souji some peace!" Okita laughed. _It's great to be back, back with his friends and family..._

Then he caught sight of the sword propped carelessly by the table.

* * *

Author's notes:

Hope you enjoy the fanfic so far.

Yes, Okita-sama has his memory back and is safe with his friends.


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

Okita sat outside on the porch, enjoying the breeze. Things were almost back to normal. His men had welcomed him back after the hell his temporary replacement gave them. San-nan and Hotaru-san had recovered and are going about their business. Hajime had changed definitely over Tokio. Yesterday, he had bought himself a blue yutaka... _No more black for him._

"Susumu, she won't take it back, will she?" He asked as Susumu stepped out onto the veranda. "No. That sword holds too many painful memories for Kitsune-sensei. She'll never take it back once she's given it away."

"It saved my life and Tetsu's...maybe more..." Okita touched the rough sheath. He had never noticed how beautiful its simple design was. "I should go back and thank her personally..."

"Don't. She'll never welcome you. Kitsune-sensei hates Hijitaka-san and the Miburou, well, mostly Hijitaka..." Whatever quarrels there are between Hijitaka and Kitsune, Yamazaki was not privy to them.

"What about Suzu?" Okita asked. _Poor kid..._

Susumu looked up at the clouds and shrugged. "That white-haired boy? Kitsune-sensei said he left soon after we did and she hasn't seen him since. Now, what's with Saitou? I just saw him with a new hairdo..."

Okita grinned. _Poor Saitou's trapped and he doesn't even know it._

* * *

The old ramee-seller greeted the samurai politely. The youth had fine, almost delicate features. The swords he carried bore the Takagi crest on their sheaths. He asked about the Third captain Saitou Hajime who came often to eat his ramee. The captain had recently lost his taste for soba.

The ramee-seller wondered idly if he was an outraged kinsman out to avenge Satiou's repeated rejection of Takagi Tokio. _If so, Saitou's in deep trouble. The youth seems a dangerous opponent. He prayed they will duel elsewhere. _Sitting down and ordering a bowl, Tokio hid a smile as Saitou sat down next to her...

* * *

Author's notes:

I've changed Saitou's dietary preference. He's a bit like the RK Saitou now. I like the part in the manga (RK) where he arranges to meet his informant at a ramee stall but didn't tell the guy which of the dozens of stalls it is.

Poor Saitou is being stalked by his cross-dressing fiancée. Oh my... (To be continued? Maybe I'd follow this up with a romance...)

Anyhow, thanks for reading & reviewing my fanfic. A big Thank You indeed. Cheerio!


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